Types

• basic
  • number
    • int octal begin with 0, hexadecimal 0x
      • int8
      • int16
      • int32
      • int64
    • rune (int32) single quoted unicode character eg ‘a’
    • uint
      • uint8
      • uint16
      • uint32
      • uint64
      • uintptr
    • byte (uint8)
    • float32
    • float64
    • complex64
    • complex128 0.867 + 0.5i
  • string
    • []byte
  • bool
• aggregate (composite, fixed size)
  • arrays [3]int{1,2,3}
  • structs ages.alice = 31
• reference
  • pointers
  • slices
  • maps ages["alice"] = 31
  • functions
  • channels
• interface

pointers

Ampersands and Asterisks

Go uses the same notation as C for pointers where the memory address of a variable x is &x and if we store this memory address in p then whatever is stored in that memory address is retrieved as *p.

The unary operator & gives the address of an object

/*
Simple use of the & unary operator
*/
package main

import "fmt"

func main() {
	s := "I know your address"
	fmt.Printf("%v\n", &s)
}

Running that gives me 0xc000014080. This memory address is a value that can be stored in a variable to get used (or abused) in various ways. A variable containing a memory address is called a pointer.